ARTICLES

Human Rights NGOs undersigned below express their concern
regarding the recent judgment of the Tbilisi City Court sentencing 6
youngsters to 3 years and 4 months imprisonment for hooliganism, the
fact of which has not been established by reliable evidence, and despite
a number of elevating circumstances present in the case. This comes as a
particularly harsh sentence in comparison with a pattern of sentences
applied e.g., against law enforcement officials who were found guilty of
causing deprivation of citizens’ lives. Just to compare: for the
murder of Buta Robakidze, 19, the police officer was sentenced to a
4-year-imprisonment (in 2006) and the murderers of Girgvliani, 27, did
not even spend the 4 years in prison, being pardoned by the President
(in 2009).

According to the Caucasian Environmental NGO Network, the
number of eco-migrants in Georgia is between 100 thousand and 120
thousand people. According to the official statistics, in 2004-2010 the
state resettled only 838 families. The ministry of IDPs from the
occupied territories, accommodation and refugees of Georgia periodically
reports that the eco-migrants, resettled in various regions of Georgia,
live in normal conditions. In fact, the situation is radically
different.

The health state of IDP Nana Pipia treated in the Burning Center is still very heavy. Doctors are anticipating future worsening. On October 27th, Nana Pipia poured petrol and set herself on fire in front of the Ministry of IDPs from Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees, and was inflicted with third A and third B quality thermal burnings.

Although there are 907 missing people in Georgia, the national legislation does not have effective measures to regulate this problem. Georgia has not joined the 2006 UN Convention about Missing People. One more problem is the victim status for the family members of the missing people as well as estimation of compensation for them.

“The Missing People” is a new documentary of Human Rights Center video
portal HRIDC.TV the premiere of which took place in the Cinema House on
October 9th. Giorgi Janelidze’s movie covers the problems of
investigation for finding people lost during the war in Abkhazia and
Tskhinvali region.

On November 3, street traders held protest demonstration
in Rustavi. They protested the decision of the City Council to ban
street trading near the territory of the so-called Istanbul in 12th
micro-district of Rustavi.

The death penalty might be imposed on two Georgian women
for spreading drugs in Malaysia. The possible main suspect in this crime
disappeared after Malaysian law enforcement bodies suspected him. The
suspect, who took the two Georgian women to Turkey to work in a Jeans
Shop, has yet to be found.

On October 30 – the International Day of Solidarity with
Political Prisoners – the Human Rights Center (HRIDC) organized a
protest demonstration in front of the parliament of Georgia. The human
rights defenders, family members of political prisoners and politicians
joined the demonstration. Their main request was the immediate release
of political prisoners who serve their terms in the detention settings
of Georgia. They expressed solidarity with the political prisoners and
spoke about the difficult situation in this field in Georgia.

Tbilisi residents will have a new problem in the near
future. If they are late to pay at least one communal bill, the
electricity supply will be cut off. For example, if you accumulate
arrears on a water bill, “Telasi” (Tbilisi Electricity Distribution
Company) will express solidarity with the Tbilisi Water Company and
leave you in darkness.

Georgia’s business environment is analyzed by numerous
international or local organizations every year. Georgia’s business
environment achieved 11th place in World Bank’s Doing Business 2010
Survey when it held 18th place in 2008. But despite these developments,
some experts note several negative tendencies in the area of business
development.

Batumi residents connect the detention of Ruslan Galogre with the wish
of the government to seize the hotel from the family of Galogres.
Ruslan’s brother – former head of Georgia-Turkey custom house, late
Oleg Galogre – built the hotel during Aslan Abashidze’s governance in
Adjara.

Money transfers in Georgia soon might give rise to acts
of terrorisms. To avoid the acts of terrorism in the country, deputy
Tortladze requests universal and daily control of transfers which
exceed ten thousand GEL. This initiative is questioned not only by the
experts and opposition but the majority party members themselves.

Problem that we are writing about is created by a fir-tree situated in approximately 4 meters from the building of compact settlement of IDPs. In reality it is a cedar, but we call it a fir-tree since this is how it is known for IDPs and for public figures connected to the tree with tricks of bureaucracy.

“I know when my name is published in media, they will
ask – has not this man died yet? They will ask it because I have been
complaining about the problem and have been urging for help since we
settled in this building. The problems, which my neighbors discussed
with you, are not new for me. The situation has worsened since August
of 2009 and you can see our living conditions yourself,” an IDP from
Abkhazia Vazha Moniava started his interview with the Human Rights
Center with these words.

Several days ago, heavy rain flooded about ten families in the village
of Matkhoji in Khoni district. The plots were flooded on the river bank
too. Although the population had already harvested everything, the
flooded River Tskhenistskali took away 20 meters of the land; flooded
central road and cars could not move for several hours.

Khoni district court has been discussing the criminal
case with nine accused people for several months. They are blamed in
following criminal traditions, storage of weapon, and extortion money
from businessman, hooliganism and purchase-possession of narcotic
substance. Khoni district police carried out special operation to
detain them based on the secret phone-calls.

“This is a raid and nothing more. The Tax inspection
issues fine with no excuse. It has become a rule of government. Instead
of helping, they are raiding us. Every morning starts with these kinds
of surprises in our country. This time we were imposed fine and nobody
tells us why. They are killing us slowly, by cutting the breathe
supplies,” – dealers of trade center “Gvirabi” (Tunnel) are protesting
against the fines imposed on them by tax inspection.

Board in 56 cm from the bench; the steps strengthened by
wooden pillars that can fall down any time; broken floor; water leaking
from the roof; walls cracking from dampness; cold rooms because of
damaged windows; more than 250 students live in such conditions in the
public schools of the villages Melaani of Gurjaani region and village
Erisimedi of Signagi region.

The ministry of defense does not have program for the
training of reserve army and the National Guardia does not have
commander. Despite that, the ministry of defense with Bacho Akhalaia as
a minister started call up for the reserve army. The reservists took
corresponding medical examination in Vaziani military base. However,
the reservists said that only small part of soldiers took medical
examination.

On October 27, IDP from Abkhazia Nana Pipia tried to
burn herself by petrol in front of the ministry of the IDPs from the
occupied territories, accommodation and refugees of Georgia. At the
moment she is in the national center for burnt diseases and the doctors
cannot make any prognosis about the development of her health
conditions in future. More than 30 percent of her body was burnt and
medically it is singe of the second and third degree.